BILLY IDOL (ABO#420)

BILLY IDOL
IDOLIZE ME
(1981-2006)

Billy Idol's solo work needs baistophing since so many of his albums are uneven. There’s some great hard rock in here and some inventive new wave. Although he had some success after Generation X without guitarist Steve Stevens ("Cradle of Love"), his weakest period was after Stevens left in 1987. Cyberpunk was an attempt to reinvent himself in the grunge era, and it's awful. After that, label conflicts prevented him from releasing new music, although he briefly posted two advanced tracks for free on Mp3.com until the label forced him to take them down. This music was never officially released, but one track is included here ("Find My Way") and you may hear others live and on bootlegs. Billy regrouped with Stevens and finally released new material in 2005. He continues to release new tracks on best hit compilations (an annoying trend) and there have been rumors of a new album since 2008. Until then, enjoy this Billy Baistophe.

Thanks to EYE OF NEWT for this great awaited Baistophe

Extracts :

Rebel Yell
(from Rebel Yell, 1983)
This song is supposed to be Idol's fans fave. It deserves a great mixture of both Hard Rock and New Wave sounds.

World Comin' Down
(from Devil's Playground, 2005)
Devil's Playground is the result of a great return of Billy Idol with long time side man Steve Stevens. This album is as ballsy as it can and prove that Idol is a real rock'n'roll singer.

Eye of Newt’s Billy Idol Top 3:
1. Rebel Yell (1983)
2. Devil's Playground (2005)
3. Whiplash Smile (1986)

Eye of Newt’s Billy Idol Bottom 3:
1. Cyberpunk (1993)
2. Happy Holidays (2006)
3. Charmed Life (1990)

KILLING JOKE (ABO #381)

KILLING JOKE
THE JOKE’S ON YOU

There are not many bands like Killing Joke. Lead by frontman extraordinaire Jaz Coleman, the band has now more than 30 years of age yet manages to remain something fresh, energetic and constantly evolving.
Starting as a post-punk act, they succeeded to adapt their trademark sound in time, slowly turning (except for a “poppier” gap in the mid/late 80s, that is) into something more aggressive, infusing a bit of metal and industrial into their music.
Now, back with their original line-up, they’re set to release a new album in September. It was more than time to try to resume their prolific quality career and Magnu took a job that wasn’t as easy as it seems for his first collaboration at Baistophe. Let him be thanked and enjoy “The Joke’s on You”.

Magnu’s KILLING JOKE List
1 - Pandemonium (1994)
2 - Extremities, Dirt & Various Repressed Emotions (1990)
3 - Revelations (1982)
4 - Killing Joke (1980)
5 - Democracy (1996)
6 - What'sTHIS for (1981)
7 - Hosannas From The Basements of Hell (2006)
8 - Fire Dances (1983)
9 - Killing Joke (2003)
10 - Night Time (1985)
11 - Brighter Than a Thousand Suns (1986)
12 - Outside The Gate (1988)

RIYL:
Nine Inch Nails, New Model Army, Bauhaus

GANG OF FOUR (ABO #374)

GANG OF FOUR
DAMAGED GOODS

Of the many bands which appeared in the punk/post-punk British wave, Gang of Four is probably – with The Clash – the most influential of all. Often cited by R.E.M.’s Michael Stipe and Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Flea as a major influence, Gang of Four has also been stated to have pre-defined the sound of Rap Metal. In today’s music, bands such as The Rapture, Liars, Franz Ferdinand, Bloc Party, The Dead 60s and many more owe a lot to their sound which they only slightly modernized.
Did they sell many albums? No they did not. They probably were too radical and too avant-gardist for their own good but their music remains a crucial component to today’s indie sound and, thus, deserved to be rewarded with their compilation on “Baistophe.” Actually, their first two albums (1979’s Entertainment! and 1981’s Solid Gold) are must have for anyone even mildly interested in (post) punk or indie rock.

My GANG OF FOUR Top Three
1 – Entertainment! (1979)
2 – Solid Gold (1981)
3 – Hard (1983)

RIYL:
Mission of Burma, Talking Heads, Bloc Party, Fugazi

MAGAZINE (ABO #368)

MAGAZINE
SOUNDS FOR SORE EARS

Formed by ex-Buzzcocks' Howard Devoto, Magazine is, with Wire, the band which created the whole post-punk movement. Allying the energy of English punk rock to the aesthetics originating from the art-rock scene, they managed to add brains to the testosterone-infused brutality of punk.
Throughout three outstanding albums - from 1978's Real Life to 1980's The Correct Use of Soap - they perfected a sound that still influences many of today's bands. Sadly, a final album (1981's Magic, Murder and the Weather) saw a major loss in inspiration and their quick demise. Though the latter wasn't a bad album, it was nothing like its three predecessors adding too many keyboards to the mix and losing most of the original energy which inhabited the band.
Magazine recently came back together, minus John McGeogh – often described as the “new wave Jimmy Page” - who died in 2005, and there is word that a new album might be in the works, until that, enjoy "Sounds for Sore Ears" which might not be of the ear-candy type but still is the demonstration of a supremely talented band at work.

My MAGAZINE List
1 – Real Life (1978)
2 – The Correct Use of Soap (1980)
3 – Secondhand Daylight (1979)
4 – Magic, Murder and the Weather

RIYL:
Wire, Public Image Ltd., The Teardrop Explodes, The Fall

Note: the three videos are from the reformed Magazine.

THE DAMNED (ABO #360)

THE DAMNED
AS TASTY AS IT GETS

Are the Damned a punk band? Sure, they started as one but their evolution has been so radical one can argue they turned to something totally different. Along these 35 cuts taken from the numerous albums they've released during their long and chaotic career, you'll be able to witness how rich and varied the Damned sound was. From straight out punk rock to gothic new wave, indie pop and more, the Damned have covered so many genres that it's no surprise they became a cult band for some and a complete source of puzzlement for the many others. Just for the record, what would you do of a punk band that's been produced by none other than Pink Floyd's Nick Mason for their second album in...1977. Add to it that on the same album (Music for Pleasure) you'll find the saxophone of free jazzman and improvisionalist Lol Coxhill (Kevin Ayers, Mike Oldfield, Derek Bailey, etc.). Yes, the Damned are something of an enigma in the music world, not that it's a bad thing, quite the contrary actually.

My DAMNED Top 3
1 – Damned Damned Damned (1977)
2 – Phantasmagoria (1985)
3 – Machine Gun Etiquette (1979)

My DAMNED Bottom 3
1 – Anything (1986)
2 – I’m Alright Jack and the Bean Stalk (2002)
3 – Not of This Earth (1996)

RIYL:
Magazine, 999, Stiff Little Fingers

THE CULT (ABO #272)

THE CULT
SUN KINGS

The Cult are an English rock band, formed in 1983. They gained a dedicated following in Britain in the mid 1980s as a post-punk and gothic rock band with singles such as "She Sells Sanctuary", before breaking mainstream in the United States in the late 1980s as a hard rock band with singles such as "Love Removal Machine". The band fuses a "heavy metal revivalist" sound with the mysticism of The Doors, the guitar-orchestrations of Led Zeppelin, and the three-chord crunch of AC/DC, while adding touches of post-punk goth rock". Since their earliest form in Bradford during 1981, the band has had various line-ups, and the longest serving members are vocalist Ian Astbury and guitarist Billy Duffy, the band's two songwriters.
This baistophe covers their 8 studio albums adding it two non-album tracks (B'side Resurrection Joe and Painted on My Heart from the "Gone in 60 Seconds" soundtrack). Enjoy.

My CULT List
1 - Love (1985)
2 - Sonic Temple (1989)
3 - Dreamtime (1984)
4 - Born Into This (2007)
5 - Electric (1987)
6 - The Cult (1994)
7 - Ceremony (1991)
8 - Beyond Good & Evil (2001)

RIYL:
AC/DC, Led Zeppelin, The Doors, U2

OINGO BOINGO (ABO #260)

OINGO BOINGO
SO YOU CAME FOR THE PARTY?

Oingo Boingo (formerly known as the Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo) is one of those rare genuinely cult bands from the USA, but mainly unknown to other countries. Maybe the name of their songwriter / guitarist / vocalist will shine a light : he is indeed Danny Elfman, the famous multi-awarded film score composer and Tim Burton's musical alter-ego. Younger brother of director Richard Elfman, Danny founded Oingo Boingo as a comedy troup in Southern France, gaining popularity when the band scored (and appeared into) Richard's first and never matched ultra-cult-movie Forbidden Zone. Coming back to the US, the band shortened its name to merely Oingo Boingo, and dropped some of the most theatrical-based gimmicks in favour of a blend of pop, punk and ska. Heavily based on synthesizers, goofy horn section and the one-of-its-kind weird guitar playing by Steve Bartek, Boingo released 4 albums in 5 years, becoming more and more pop, but without losing the quirkiness of Elfman's vocals.
They soon became one of US hidden treasures. Supported by a faithful audience, increasing popularity with their annual Halloween show, Boingo was also featured as a background or foreground soundtrack for many movies. Their 1985 album "Dead man's party", while disappointing some early fans for being a bit too mainstream, proved that Elfman was a hell of a great hit-maker. They conquered success with the soundtrack (very sadly not included here) from John Hughes's movie "Weird science" (later known as the series Codename Lisa), and Tobe Hooper used No-One Lives Forever as the beating track for the now famous bridge sequence opening Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2.
Elfman then became what he's mainly known for these days : a great "classical" composer, sailing between blockbusters (Darkman and Spiderman for his friend Sam Raimi) and more intimate movies (Dolores Claiborne, Nightbreed, Article 99), always teaming with genius Steve Bartek (now his official arranger) and never losing touch - if only once - with his longtime partner Tim Burton. But he didn't give up the Boingo at once : he gave birth to three more albums - the latter, being called just "Boingo", was a complete alien in the 1994 musical landscape, feeding from grunge and Elfman's orchestral works. Boingo also released in 1988 a double-"live in the studio" album, "Boingo alive", which is one of the very best records ever made that way. In 1995, partly because of the beginning of hearing loss after all these years of loud music, Elfman gave a farewell concert on the night of Halloween, ending Boingo's career on the highest note one could have dreamed of.

My BOINGO Top 3
1) Good for Your Soul (1983)
2) Boingo (1994)
3) Dead Man's Party (1985)
(...not counting Boingo Alive)

My BOINGO Bottom 3
1) Forbidden Zone (1980)
2) Dark at the End of the Tunnel (1990)
3) Oingo Boingo (1987)

(Thanks to Baker for the great "baistophe"!)

KLAUS NOMI (ABO #240)

KLAUS NOMI
DO YOU NOMI?

This strange little man from Essen, Germany became somewhat of a cult idol after his tragic death in 1983. He was, back then, at the beginning of a promising career which was sadly interrupted by AIDS. Relocated on the other side of the Atlantic ocean, his falsetto voice, strange costumes, otherworldly aura all created a character which became a favourite of New York City's arty/new wave late 70s scene. It took him quite a long time to secure a record deal even after his spectacular appearance with David Bowie on Saturday Night Live but, when he finally did, success was there for him. Two albums were released while he was alive, the self-titled "Klaus Nomi" and "A Simple Man", both displaying Nomi's peculiar mix of new wave and operatic themes. One can wonder why a career that short deserved a "baistophe", the answer is quite simple: it just needed it. Whatsmore, the addition of 2008's "Za Bakdaz: The Unfinished Opera" (a collection of early demos) has provided a worthy addition to the tracklist. So, here it is, "Do You Nomi?", a 55 minutes long tribute to a great artist which left us too soon.

SAGA (ABO #228)

SAGA
ONLY TIME WILL TELL:

THE MICHAEL SADLER YEARS

Heavy on keyboards, sonicly related to the 80s new wave, Saga might very well be the less progressive act displayed in this month's "Progressive Rock Thema" at Baistophe.
Very skilled musicians and descendants of both Queen & The Sparks, the Canadian band Saga have always been a much discussed case among prog-heads. Many think they're too happy/poppy to even be considered while others claim they're progressive in their unique attention to the tiniest bit of their sound-bursts and work "proggingly" in the details. Both are right by the way but it all depends on the mood you're in when you decide to pop up this bad guy and make it swing your very ass (resisting "Humble Stance" is futile). And, even the prog-heads need, now and then, a little easy entertainment and why not relying on the witty craftmen Saga have been the last 30 years? Why not god? Why?
Don't be amashed, this music will not bite you, at worst it'll put a smile on your face which isn't something that common when listening to progressive-related music.

My SAGA Top 3
1 - Silent Knight (1980)
2 - Saga (1978)
3 - Generation 13 (1995)

My SAGA Bottom 3
1 - Wildest Dreams (1987)
2 - Steel Umbrellas (1994)
3 - The Pleasure and the Pain (1997)

DEVO (ABO #190)

DEVO
WHIP IT!

Devo is an American rock group formed in Akron, Ohio in 1973. They are best known for their 1980 hit "Whip It", which made it to #14 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Their style has been variously classified as punk, art rock and post-punk, but they are most often remembered for their late 1970s and early 1980s New Wave sound.
Devo's music and stage show mingle kitsch science fiction themes, deadpan surrealist humor, and mordantly satirical social commentary via sometimes-discordant pop songs that often feature unusual synthetic instrumentation and time signatures, and their work has proved hugely influential on subsequent popular music, particularly New Wave, industrial and alternative rock artists.
Devo was also a pioneer of the music video, creating many memorable clips that were popular in the early days of MTV, although their use of the video medium dates right back to their very first appearance on stage at Kent State University in 1973, which was recorded with an early black-and-white portable video system.
A new album should be released in the fall of 2009 (their first in almost 20 years!) that's why I thought it was crucial to give you this compilation of their finest tracks which focuses on the first four albums with picks at the following repertoire.

Devo - Satisfaction

Devo - Whip It

My DEVO Top 3
1 - Q:Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! (1978)
2 - Freedom of Choice (1980)
3 - Duty Now for the Future (1979)

My DEVO Bottom 3
1 - Total Devo (1988)
2 - Shout (1984)
3 - Smooth Noodle Maps (1990)